Hopper for hooks



NOV- 4, 1958 J. M. MARGULIS ET AL 2,858,960

HoPPER FOR Hooxs Filed Sept. 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ao I ./osEPH M.MARaz/L/s THoMAs 1.. FaRD, JR. GEaRciE E. oHNENBfRaER' v v I 7 IINVENToR BY MWHW ATTORNEY United States Patent' O 2,sss,960

HoPPER Fon HooKs,V

Joseph M. Margulis, Thomas L. Ford, Jr., and George Bohnenberger,Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 13, 1955, Serial No. 534,051

3 Claims. (Cl. 221-160) The -present invention relates to a hopper fordischarging hooks and the like, and more particularly to a high speedhopper mechanism for automatically discharging hooks in a controlledfashion.

In the manufacture of adhesive cloth picture hangers,

. article .being manufactured, but also the rapid mounting of suchelements. For example, the manufacture of adhesive cloth picture hangersis conducted on assembly lines wherein each line produces at least V150to 200 picture hangers per minute. The accurate positioning of hooks andrelated small objects at these high speeds for protracted pcriods oftime has presented a serious problem, which has not heretofore beenadequately solved.

The present invention has as an object the provision of a hopper capableof rapidly delivering hooks and related objects to a predetermined pointin a predetermined position. i

This invention has as a further object the provision of a high speeddelivery mechanism in which hooks and related objects are delivered inproperly aligned disposition, and in which hooks not in such aligneddisposition are discarded.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the,drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements`and instrumentalities shown; i e

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer tolike parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly insection of the hopper mechanism of the present invention. i

Figure 1A is a view taken on line 1A-1A of Figure 1.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the hopper mechanism of the presentinvention.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the hopper mechanism of thepresent invention viewed from the side op-A designates the hoppermechanism of the present invention, Which includes a rotating drum 12having a drum hub 14 driven by drive shaft 16. The rotation of driveshaft 16 is regulated by gear reducer assembly 18. Gear reducer assembly18 is driven by pulley 20, which in turn is driven by motor pulley 22 ofelectric motor 24.

Hopper mechanism 10 including each of the aforesaid elements is mountedupon table 26, and is carried by means of leveling clamps 28 on bedmember 30. Leveling clamps 28 may be adjusted to assure that bed member30l is horzontally disposed, notwithstanding slight variations in thetable 26, or in the supporting floor upon which the table 26 is carried.

A retaining plate 32 is fixedly secured to bed member 30 and isjuxtaposed closely proXimate the lower half of drum 12. The clearancebetween the forward edge 34 of drum 12 and the juxtaposed face ofretaining plate 32 is less thanl the space required for a hook to fallfrom drum 12, so that a large supply of hooks may be retained Withindrum 12, notwithstanding its rapid rotation. However, the level of hookswithin drum 12 should not be above the uppermost edge 36 of retainingplate 32.

The rear wall 38 of drum 12 is provided with a plurality of pins 40proximate its outer periphery but spaced radially inwardly from annularflange 42 of drum 12 in a circle concentric therewith. The circle ofpins 40 is spaced at a suflicient distance from the inner face of flange42 so that when hooks 44 are picked up by pins`40, such hooks 44 may befreely suspended on pins 40 during the rotaton of drum 12 Withoutinterference by annular flange 42. i

The hooks 44 that are hoppered in the accompanying drawings are shown inFigure 5. These hooks are especially suitable for manufacture ofadhesive cloth picture hangers, and include a bight portion 46 and anannular flange portion 48 which is perpendicular to the main bodyportion 50 of the hook 44. It is, of course, to be understood that otherforms of hooks may be hoppered by the hopper mechanism 10 of the presentinvention.

'The rotation of drum 12 causes the hooks 44 to be suspended upon pins40, as the pins 40 pass through the v mass of hooks 44 which areretained in the bottom portion of drum 12 between rear wall 38, flange42 and retaining plate 32. The hooks 44 may be picked up by pins 40 inthe variety of possible positions shown in Figure 2 at pins 40a, 40b,400, 40d, 40e, 40)C and 40g. The operation of the hopper mechanism ofthe present invention in relation to hooks picked up in each of theaforesaid positions will be more fully set forth below.

A pickup blade 52 of curved sheet metal is spaced at a small distancefrom rear wall 38 of drum 12. The upper portion 54 of pickup blade 52includes an arc whose upper edge 55 passes very close to pins 40. Thecurvature of the arc formed byupper edge 55 in the portion of upperportion 54 of pickup blade 52 most proximate to pins 40 is substantiallythe curvature of a co-extensive arc of a circle concentric with thecircle formed by pins 40. The distance between this portion of pickupblade 52 and pins 40 is such that hooks carried on individual pins 40,such as pins 4011, 40h, 40o, 40f and 40g Will be cammed therefrom, andwill slide downwardly on pickup blade 52 due to the force of gravity.

Pickup blade 52 is curved downwardly away from its uppermost arc-shapedcontour in a direction generally normal to the plane of rear wall 38 ofdrum 12.

The bottom portion 56 of pickup blade 52 is supported by support 58which is fixedly secured as by screws, rivets or the like to the innerface of retaining plate 32. Bottom portion 56 is provided with adefiector pllow 60 which projects outwardly as a rectangularlycross-sectioned block from the face of pickup blade 52 facing pins 40(see'Figure 5).

&858,960

A receiving blade 62, of curved sheet metal having the same thickness aspickup blade 52, is fixedly Secured to support 58. Pickup blade 52 andreceiving blade 62 when viewed from the side appear as one Continuousblade member (see Figure l). receiving blade 62 When viewed from theside appears to constitute a continuation of the upper edge of pickupblade 52.

However, as will be apparent from the view shown in Figure 2, the upperportion 64 of receiving blade 62 is not continuous with the bottomportion 56 of pickup blade 52, but there is a gap between the blades 52and 62, with the bottom portion 56 being apposed to upper portion 64across a gap space. This gap is such'that 'a hook such as hook 44x (seeFigure 5) which is sliding down pickup blade 52 with its main bodyportion 50 juxtaposed to the face of pickup blade 52 carrying deflectorpillow 60 will traverse such gap and be received on receiving blade 62in identcal dispostion to which it traveled down pickup blade 52, namelywith its annular flange portion 48 disposed toward the center of drum12. However, a hook positioned such as hook 44)) in Figure 5 with itsannular flange portion 48' disposed away from the center of drum 12 byvirtue of its center of gravity being to the right of a hook disposedsuch as hook 44x will not traverse the gap and therefore will not bereceived on receiving blade 62. Thus, the upper portion 64 of receivingblade 62 is diverted and spaced from the bottom portion 56 of pickupblade 52 a sufficient distance to discriminate between hooks positionedas hook 44x and hooks positioned as hook 44y, and in favor of theformer. Hooks positioned such as hook 44y will fall downwardly into thereservoir of hooks retained in the bottom of rotating drum 12.

The exact spacing between upper portion 64, of receiving blade 62 andbottom portion 56 of pickup blade 52 cannot be optimally set forth' forall types and sizes of hooks, but will vary depending upon the speed ofrotation of drum 12, the profile of the hooks, the surface finishing ofthe hooks and the weight of the hooks. The gap between pickup blade 52and receiving blade 62 forms a means for classifying those hooks whichare correctly positioned for feeding through the remainder of the hoppermechanism from those hooks which are not so positioned.

A classifying means for hooks is necessary as pins 40 will pick up thehooks in more or less random dispostion (as shown in Fgure 2 at 40o to40g). Thus, hooks which are received in the dispostion shown at pins40o, 40f, and 40g will traverse the gap between blades 52 and 62.However, pins which are received in the dispostion shown at pin 40c willnot traverse such gap and will be returned to the reservoir of hooks atthe bottom of rotating drum 12, as the dispostion of hooks positionedsuch as at 40o on pickup blade 52 will be in the dispostion of hook 44y.

In the case of hooks which are joined in tandem, with the bight portion46 of one hook received in the annular flange portion 48 of anotherhook, such as the hooks shown on pin 40b, such hooks will traversepickup blade 52 and then will be deflectcd at the bottom portion 56thereof by deflector pillow 60, which will so deflect such hooks as tocause them to fail to traverse the gap between blades 52 and 62. As willbe seen in Figure 5, deflector pillow 60 is positioned at a greaterdistance from the upper edge of pickup blade 52 than the height of asingle hook, so that a hook in the position of 44x will not contactdeflector pillow 60. However, where two hooks are joined together intandem as at 40h the deflector pillow 60 will contact the lower of thetwo hooks and deflect the tandem train of hooks into drum 12.

In the case of a hook carried upon a plurality of pins, such as the hookshown at pins 40d and 40e which traverses-\b'oth pins simultaneously,such hook will be cammed ofi the pins and fall into the reservoir atthebottom of Thus, the upper edge of 4 drum 12 at the moment of contactwith the-upper portion 54 of pickup blade 52.

The upper edge 36 of retaining plate 32 is notched at 66 to permit thepassage of receiving blade 62 across retaining plate 32. The bottomportion 68 of receiving blade 62 is operatively positioned in respect tothe upper end of the chute designated 70.

The upper endof chute 70 Ais provided with a damping spur 72, whichdampens the oscillatory motion of hooks 44 which may be oscillatingwhile downwardly traversing the bottom portion 68'of receiving blade 62.Thus, oscillating hooks 44 will strike damping spur 72 which is initself somewhat resilient and fixedly secured to chute 70 at one end,'and such hooks 44 will convey part of their oscillatory energy to spur72. This materially facilitates the accurate and facile transfer ofhooks 44 from bottom portion 68 to chute 70.

As shown particularly in Figure 2, chute 70 is divided into a verticallydisposed upper portion designated 74 and an angularly disposed lowerportion designated 76. A cross-section through upper portion 74 of chute70 is shown in Figure 6, and a cross-section through the lower portion76 of chute 70 'is shown in Figure 7.

As will be seen by comparing Figures 6 and 7 in the upper portion 74 ofchute 70 the main body portion 50 of hook 44 is superposed by flexibleinwardly directed flange members 78, with the annular flange'portion 48of the hook received in a U-shapedslot. Flanges 78 are spaced from eachother a sufiici'ent distance to permit the upwardly projecting hook andbight'portion 46 of the lhook 44 to extend out of thel plane of upperportion- 74 of chute 70.

The lower portion 76 of chute 70 is provided with a basal slot 80 inwhich the annular flange portion 48 of each hook 44 is received; withthe body portion 50 of the hook'44 resting on flat 81 thereabove.

The variation in construction between upper portion 74'and lower portion76 has been found to facilitate the discharge of hooks 44, with thegradually increased frietional contact ensuring control.

The hooks 44 pass'downwardly through lower portion 76 of chute'70 to theendthereof, at which point the hooks are gripped by hook positioner 82.I-IookV positioner 82, whichl is shown in cross-section in Figure 8,comprises a pair of spaced block members 84 having inwardly projectingspring fingers 86 on their upper surface.

As will be seen from Figures 2, 3 and 8 the hook positioner 82 retainsthe hook 44 angularly positioned until a pin 88`which projects upwardlyfrom endless conveyor belt 90 'throughrthe spaceA between block members84 is received within the vannular flange portion 48 of the hook. Theforward motion of the conveyor belt 90 then removes the hook 44 from thehook positioner 82. In this fashion hooks will' be automatically andrapidly mounted'on the pins 881of conveyor belt 90.'

In case of malfunctioning'of the conveyorbelt 90 and the simultaneousnegligence of the operator for hopper mechanism 10, jammingV of thehooks and injury to hopper mechanism `10 is prevented by means of theopen end of the upper portion 74 of chute 70; Thus, hooks 44 will bebacked up through' thel entire portion of chute 70L` Chute 70 will thenno longer be able to receive hooks, and all hooks transferred frombottom portion 68 of receiving blade 62 will be discarded from upperportion 74 of chute 70. Such hooks can be received within a supplycontainer 92 which can be positioned beneath the point of juncture ofbottom portion 68 and the upper end of upper portion 74 toreceive-hooks. Such supply container 92 may also be used by the operatorof hopper mechanism 10 for maintaining the reservoir of hooks in thebottom of rotating drum 12.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specifications as indicating the scope of theinvention.

We claim:

1. A hopper for delivering hooks in aligned position including anopen-ended rotating drum, pins projecting in- Wardly from one wall ofsaid drum, withdrawal means comprising a plurality of blade elements,said withdrawal means extending through the open end of said drum, oneof said blade elements being closely proximate to said pins, said oneblade element being included With its uppermost end disposed in suchapposed relation to said pins that objects carried on said pins will bedeflected therefrom and transferred onto the uppermost edge of saidelement upon rotation of said drum, another of said blade elements beinglongitudinally spaced by a gap from said first-mentioned blade element,the uppermost edge of said lastmentioned blade element being beneath theuppermost edge of said first-mentioned blade element, and receivingmeans outside said drum spaced from and beneath the outermost endportion of said withdrawal means, whereby when said receiving means isunable to receive hooks from said withdrawal means, withdrawn hooks fromsaid withdrawal means are discharged without said receiving means.

2. A hopper for delivering hooks in aligned position including anopen-ended rotating drum, pins projecting inwardly from one wall of saiddrum, withdrawal means comprising a plurality of blade elements, saidwithdrawal means extending through the open end of said drum, one ofsaid blade elements being closely proximate to said pins, said one bladeelement being inclined with its uppermost end disposed in Asuch apposedrelation to said pins that objects carried on said pins will bedeflected therefrom and transferred onto the uppermost edge of saidelement upon rotation of said drum, and another of said blade elementsbeing longitudinally spaced by a gap from said first-mentioned bladeelement, the uppermost edge of said last-mentioned blade element beingbeneath the uppermost edge of said first-mentioned blade element, aslotted receiving track outside said drum spaced from and beneath theoutermost end portion of said withdrawal means, the cross-sectionalIarea of said slot in the portion of said track proximate saidwithdrawal means being appreciably greater than the cross-sectional areaof the slot in the portion of said track remote from said withdrawalmeans.

3. A hopper for delivering hooks in a predetermined aligned positionincluding an open-ended rotating drum, pins projecting inwardly from theend wall of said drum, withdrawal means comprising a rigidly fixed andinclined stationary pickup blade having both of its ends within saiddrum With its innermost end uppermost and apposite said pins, wherebyhooks carried on said pins Will be cammed from said pins onto theuppermost edge of said pckup blade upon the rotation of said drum, arigidly fixed and stationary receiving blade extending through the openend of said drum, said pickup and receiving blades being separated fromeach other by a gap, said pickup blade hav` ing projecting deflectingmeans on its side spaced beneath its uppermost edge proximate the endopposite the receiving blade for deflecting hooks arranged inundesirable configurations from traversing the gap comprising thelongitudinal space between the pickup blade and receiving blade, atleast a part of the uppermost edge of the innermost end of saidreceiving blade being longitudinally spaced from and beneath theuppermost edge of said pickup blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS859,481 Bray et al. July 9, 1907 1,187,114 Von Lieven June 13, 19162,409,657 Birdsall Oct. 22, 1946 2,656,085 Schmied Oct. 20, 19532,729,833 Nielsen Jan. 10, 1956

